SimCity News

Join us for our producer chat event Friday November 30th at 2:30PM PST with the SimCity Societies game team!

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SimLeaderAC (Nov 30, 2007 4:01:32 PM)
hellloooo

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:14:56 PM)
greetings all

SimLeaderGoonter (Nov 30, 2007 4:26:14 PM)
Hello

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:26:23 PM)
Greetings

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:26:30 PM)
Hi all

ChatMaster (Nov 30, 2007 4:26:47 PM)
Welcome everyone! We're talking to Rachel Bernstein (SimLeaderSix), Dan Alioto (SimLeaderDA) and Jeff Fiske (SimLeaderJF) from the SimCity Societies team.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:30:41 PM)
is this just like sim city

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:30:41 PM)
No. It's not just like SimCity of yore. Societes is about about exploring the creative side of city building, building any city you want, seeing the consequences of your choices. You're not being forced into building one type of city.

SimLeaderGoonter (Nov 30, 2007 4:31:04 PM)
We are receiving your questions, the game team will respond to them as they come in.

aejen211 (Nov 30, 2007 4:32:45 PM)
does this game have any controlled simulation going on or is it strictly building?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:32:45 PM)
Yes there is a simulation running. The Sims wake up in the homes, they go to their Workplace, and afterward they go to Venues. You are placing buildings to create a city that the Sims live in.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 4:33:38 PM)
Is there a Terraformer tool in the game?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:33:39 PM)
No you can't terraform in game. There are map options that let you craft a map at the start of the game. And you can create your own height map for use in the game.

Jessica (Nov 30, 2007 4:35:00 PM)
Do you get to have familes in house?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:35:00 PM)
There are lots of different kinds of Sims in the game. Some of their children that live in Homes. They go to child-safe venues and when they gain happiness, it adds happiness to their whole family.

Bubba (Nov 30, 2007 4:35:10 PM)
So what exactly do you do in Simcity Societies?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:35:10 PM)
You choose from over 500 different buildings to create different types of cities, lay out roads. You have to your Sims happy by supplying them with ample opportunity for entertainment, leisure, religion, etc.

simcityfreak (Nov 30, 2007 4:36:40 PM)
Are there disasters in Societies?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:36:40 PM)
There are random events, that are not disasters, such as heat waves that occur in your cities. In addition you can deliberately invoke disasters, such as Meteor Strikes.

Simlover (Nov 30, 2007 4:37:15 PM)
Are you any closer to solving the crashing issues?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:37:15 PM)
We're working on a bug report form so you can get us the details. There is some information on crashing posted in the stickies in the Technical Help section of the board.

aejen211 (Nov 30, 2007 4:38:28 PM)
what are some features that haven't been mentioned elsewhere and what are your favorite features?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:38:28 PM)
If you play in the Challeging Mode, you will find yourself forced into paying attention to the nuances of the buildings. There are alot of very cool interactions such as Mimes being rounded up by Secret police, adding mind control to appartments, etc...

Lionpawheart (Nov 30, 2007 4:38:29 PM)
Can you create sims and put them into houses?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:38:29 PM)
It actually works the other way. You build Homes and Sims move into them.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:39:07 PM)
So that means you can have churches, restaurants, shops, schools, and the like?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:39:07 PM)
All of these buildings are in the game. So yes.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:40:15 PM)
Is it true that cities function perfectly well without any roads?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:40:15 PM)
It depends on what kind of city you make. Sims will drive on the roads, and walk if there are no roads. They will take buses and subways.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 4:41:52 PM)
Does SimCity Societies interact with The Sims 2 and its Expansions?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:41:52 PM)
No, you can't put Sims from The Sims 2 into the game. You can name the Sims that are in the game. You can follow them and see where they work, where they shop.

deathtopumpkins (Nov 30, 2007 4:42:05 PM)
Is there any way to control what type of vehicles appear on your city's roads, for example, get rid of horse-and-buggys and rickshaws in big cities?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:42:05 PM)
Yes, the car type is defined in the homes. I have mentioned this a couple of times in forums, so I would expect someone to do a mod on this at some point.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:44:30 PM)
Can u get different sizes of homes like condo's, apartmaents or normal

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:44:30 PM)
Yes. Homes range from single family houses up to large apartment buildings. They range in opulence from Slums to Tract Mansions, from realistic to fanciful.

Jewels (Nov 30, 2007 4:45:59 PM)
This game doesn't appear to be a traditional simcity game, what is the same and what is different between this and simcity history?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:45:59 PM)
Creativity is part of the heritage of the franchise, from the first SimCity when you sat down to play and you really wanted to build any city you thought of, but then you realized most cities are all very similar. We wanted to really create a SimCity for everyone that emphasized creativity as well as customization post release.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:46:06 PM)
Are there several areas you can choose to build your cities

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 4:46:06 PM)
Not sure what you mean by "areas" but there are many different terrain types you can choose from. Examples of them are savannah, tundra, desert... etc.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:48:08 PM)
What kind of cities do u guys like to make the most

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:48:08 PM)
A lot of the fun is making up you own kinds of cities. I often like to start with a modern city with tall buildings, and then build out wealthy suburbs. Sometimes I end up evolving toward Romantic city (I like the flower boxes and Parisian lamp posts), and other days I enjoy veering in an Authoritarian direction, and end up with State Television looking down at my peeps.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 4:48:36 PM)
How easy are mods to make?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:48:36 PM)
We have exposed as much of the XML & C# as we feel you would need to make very powerful mods. I guess I will say that if you are familiar with XML & C# it should be fairly easy. We also have an exchange to get other people Mods, and we continue to look for ways to make Moding easier.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 4:49:54 PM)
How many types of power plants are in the game and how do they work?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 4:49:54 PM)
There are over 10 power buildings in the game. They provide power to your city, and also create varying degrees of local pollution and carbon emissions.

deathtopumpkins (Nov 30, 2007 4:52:39 PM)
Why do the sims have a weird walk?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:52:39 PM)
Sims have different kinds of walks depending on how their city is evolving. A very spiritual city has people serenely gliding. An authoritarian city has people with dejected walks. And we all walk a little funny after a liquid lunch.

anise (Nov 30, 2007 4:53:26 PM)
What kind of weather are we to expect in societies?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 4:53:26 PM)
Currently you can expect there to be rainy days and sunny days.

Rileyjcquinn (Nov 30, 2007 4:54:31 PM)
Do you need power in the game our can you have a powerless city

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:54:31 PM)
Actually, someone just posted some great screenshots of a spiritual agricutural society. So yes, the fact that you can do this is part of our goals of allowing you, as a city building gamer, to choose the type of city YOU want to build.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:54:43 PM)
Do cities generate based on decisions you make as in SimCity or are you able to build roads, highways and buildings?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:54:43 PM)
The game lets you take the city in whatever direction you want by directly building the roads and buildings. You pick what you want and where you want it to be.

CJ (Nov 30, 2007 4:56:28 PM)
My game seems to be spawing a lot of hippies (like 20 at once) , is this some kind of glitch or is this supposed to be happening?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:56:28 PM)
Yep. You probably have a 'creative' city, with a lot of bohemian type buildings.

Jewels (Nov 30, 2007 4:57:12 PM)
Is the hydro power from 2000 back? I was sad when 3000 and 4 didn't include it.

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:57:12 PM)
We don't have hydro power. There is a new Hydrogen Power Plant included with the Game Update.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 4:58:02 PM)
What's the strangest city you've created?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 4:58:02 PM)
Heh! Well, classics were Zombie town, where the Zombies were actually going to factories and working for me, or the creative society that I converted to my will, with Men in Black and secret police.

Jewels (Nov 30, 2007 4:58:23 PM)
what is a spiritual city?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:58:23 PM)
Buildings that produce or consume spiritual energy tend to be places of worship, agricultural-oriented buildings that speak to a simpler way of life, and a variety of Zen-themed buildings and decorations.

aejen211 (Nov 30, 2007 4:59:32 PM)
do the days pass as you are building or does game play go on hold?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 4:59:32 PM)
You can pause the game if you want. I usually let time keep passing as I build.

nikki7923 (Nov 30, 2007 5:00:56 PM)
I am trying to build a overpass like the one in Small Town video. How do I do that?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:00:56 PM)
Bridges have different looks depending on how the city has evolved. When you extend a dirt road over the water (creating a bridge) and you have a Small Town or Spiritual city, then you'll get the covered bridge.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:00:57 PM)
what are some of the smaller details in the game?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:00:57 PM)
There are a lot of little details in the cities that change with the city profile that really make your city look and feel like what you would expect. Romantic cities have flower pots line the streets, haunted cities have pumpkins on porches, even sims in some spirtuality cities change into robes.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:01:52 PM)
Whoah! Is there natural disaters like the original Sim Cities?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 5:01:52 PM)
You can invoke an earthquake if you want. But, if you build a city with high Carbon output, you will be more likely to have a Heat wave, Drought, or a Tsunami may strike a neigboring city.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:02:56 PM)
Can you type a number of tiles to tell how big you want your city, or you would do it like in SC4, (Small, Medium, and Large)

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:02:56 PM)
The maps are all the same size. You can adjust their appearance tremendously in the New City screen - try a desert terrain or alpine. I tend to choose flatter terrain types when I want to build a larger city, and hillier ones when I want a sense of being integrated into nature.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:05:43 PM)
i play the regulars sims2...but never simcity, will it be easy to go from sims2 to simcity?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:05:43 PM)
Definitely. This game is designed to be accessible and easy to get into it. When you start up the game it suggest you take the tutorial. It tells you everything you need to know to get up and running.

CJ (Nov 30, 2007 5:08:24 PM)
What can we expect to see in the way of new downloads and additions to the game from the SimCity Societies Official site in the future?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:08:24 PM)
www.simcity.com. We have a community mod exchange where some very cool stuff is happening. Check it out.... can you say NINJAS!?

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:08:35 PM)
Is SimCity Societies just like the other SimCity games? I mean, money earning, scaping the land, putting your sims in?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:08:35 PM)
Societies is about exploring the creative side of city-building, and letting you make cities that are different from each other not just visually, but also thematically and functionally.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:09:39 PM)
If i can run SimCity 4 on Highest graphics can i run SimCity Societies?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:09:40 PM)
It really depends on whether your system meets min specs. They are posted in a Game Help pdf in the Exchange section of simcity.com.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:10:37 PM)
How many Buildings can you fit on a piece of terrain?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:10:38 PM)
That depends on which buildings you choose. Some have a tiny footprint, like a secret police kiosk. And some have a huge footprint, like the Palace of Justice.

Sbrekel (Nov 30, 2007 5:11:41 PM)
Do we have to deal with electricty and water?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:11:41 PM)
You no longer manage a power or water grid. However you do need to power your city. The range of choices in Power matches the approach to other buildings -- you can go green, or super-coal, and or somewhere in between.

sneaky_bubble (Nov 30, 2007 5:12:14 PM)
How long can a city last? How do cities change over time?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:12:15 PM)
Cities last as long as you want and it is not so much that cities change over time, they change based on the type of society you create.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:13:43 PM)
whats your favorite mode in the game?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:13:44 PM)
It depends on my mood. Most days I play in Normal mode and reach for trophies. But there are definitely times when I just love to noodle around in Free Play mode.

ChatMaster (Nov 30, 2007 5:14:40 PM)
Hi everyone. There's 10 minutes left in the chat.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:15:49 PM)
I'm a huge fan of TheSIms2. What aspects of Sim City Societies will interest me?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:15:49 PM)
SCS is about nurturing a city. It's fun to decide how your city will grow up, what personality it will have. When I play, I have a story going in my head about my city and why it is growing the way it is.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:16:30 PM)
do you get to chooose who can be mayor and who can run the city?

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 5:16:30 PM)
You always are the leader of your society. However the messaging can address you as Mayor or a different title, in the Ticker tape or other message dialogs, based on the society you create.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:18:38 PM)
WHy is there so many framerate promblems? Even on a machine like mine with 3.0 ghz and 2 gig ram on vista there are tons of framerate promblems other players are complaining as well.

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:18:38 PM)
Please take a look at the stickies SimLeaderViolet is posting in the Technical Help section of the forum at simcity.com. There is a hotfix from Microsoft that helps many Vista users - we will post that url. Customer support can also help you figure out if you meet min spec and get you up and running. Try https://easims.custhelp.com

TS2MichaelD (Nov 30, 2007 5:18:47 PM)
whats your favourite BUILDING in the game

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 5:18:47 PM)
My Favorite buildings (I can't do just one) Spirit Squadron that can dispatch Cheerleaders and the Asylum for the sound effects, and "Issue the call".

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:18:49 PM)
My favorite building is the Sesshin Center, i like being able to police my cities a little... without police

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:20:26 PM)
I have to admit i really like the beautiful upscale Victorian homes. I also like the Palace of Justice a lot.

Guest (Nov 30, 2007 5:22:45 PM)
Will buildings become abandoned if they lack needs like power and water?

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:22:45 PM)
Buildings shut down when they don't have the energy they need, be it power, or societal energy. Workplaces need workers, Sims won't report to work unless they are happy enough. Venues make them happy. Roads, buses, subways help them get to work quickly (if they arrive late to work, you don't get paid).

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:22:52 PM)
Were there any funny moments when the game was in devolopment?

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:22:52 PM)
A couple I can remember off hand are the time that homes were spawning giant sims, and the time that we had the busses taking the subway. Oh... and the time I had to yell "Gamer Freak" into the camera for australian TV.

-Skyline7284 (Nov 30, 2007 5:25:32 PM)
Any really funny cities created? Please Tell =P

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 5:25:32 PM)
Actually, this answer touches on a few questions. Some of the most amusing societies are combinations of extremes 'co-existing' or not. One city I had was miserable, everywhere, except for a rockin' neighborhood where everyoone was living in Band Houses. These were spawning so many street musicians they were keeping everyone happy- despite zombies and secret police on other side of town!

ChatMaster (Nov 30, 2007 5:26:05 PM)
Hi everyone. This concludes our chat. We'll be posting the chat transcript online at simcity.com shortly.

SimLeaderSix (Nov 30, 2007 5:27:27 PM)
Thanks for joining us everybody!

SimLeaderDA (Nov 30, 2007 5:27:32 PM)
Thanks for coming! C-ya

SimLeaderJF (Nov 30, 2007 5:27:39 PM)
Thanks for joining us!

Check out the new "Haunted City" that's included with SimCity Societies (ships Nov 13th).

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The past few months I've been feeling ill. I have visited the hospital several times and I am still not feeling okay. Not one bit. But that doesn't stop me from making downloads and I can also promise you right now that the next month, you'll see one change after another on Simsnetwork. But it's still a secret and for that reason I can only say that you'll have to visit to see what's up with SNW.

On a special occasion, you just have to make some downloads. So I did. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I hope you enjoy these skins. Click on the image to view and download them separately. And when you're done, please let me know what you think of the downloads. Make my day and just say thanks if you like them. That way, I'll know people appreciate my work and that's what keeps me going.